The present invention relates generally to child car seats, and more particularly to a child car seat having an adjustable armrest.
Known seats include office furniture chairs for adults, wherein the chairs have height-adjustable armrests, and include child car seats for babies, infants, and young children.
Conventional child car seats include those which are removably installed in a vehicle by use of the vehicle""s seat belts, such as by use of the vehicle""s lap belts or by use of the vehicle""s lap and shoulder belts. The child is secured in the installed seat by use of separate harness belts attached to the car seat or by use of the same vehicle seat belts being used to install the car seat in the vehicle. It is noted that child car seats are not limited to cars but can be used in any vehicle having vehicle seat belts. It is further noted that a child car seat designed or used without separate harness belts is sometimes referred to as a child booster seat. Some child car seats are designed to be installed in the vehicle with the child car seat facing forward for children of older age and/or heavier weight. Other child car seats are designed to be installed in the vehicle with the child car seat facing rearward for children of younger age and/or lighter weight. Still other child car seats are convertible seats allowing installation in the vehicle with the child car seat facing forward or installation in the vehicle with the child car seat facing rearward to accommodate different seat-facing positions as the child grows.
Known child car seats include those having armrests. Typically, the child""s arms rest on the top surface (padded or not) of the side portions of the child-car-seat shell. In one conventional child car seat, the armrest is pivotable. The armrest is pivoted upward when the child enters or exits the child car seat or when the child is placed in, or is removed from, the child car seat. The armrest is pivoted to a horizontal use position when the child is secured in the child car seat.
What is needed is an improved child car seat.
A first expression of an embodiment of the invention is for a child car seat and includes a child-car-seat shell and an armrest. The armrest is attached to the shell. The armrest is adjustable for height at least between a first position and a second position.
A second expression of an embodiment of the invention is for a child car seat having a child-car-seat shell, a bracket, and an armrest. The shell has a side portion. The bracket is attached to the side portion. The armrest is attached to the bracket, and the armrest is adjustable up and down for height relative to the bracket.
A third expression of an embodiment of the invention is for a child car seat having a child-car-seat shell, a bracket, and an armrest. The shell has a side portion. The bracket is attached to the side portion. The armrest is attached to the bracket, and the armrest is adjustable up and down for height relative to the bracket. The bracket has a clamp portion attached to the side portion of the shell and has a boss portion extending from the clamp portion, and wherein the boss portion includes a spring tab. The armrest is positioned surroundingly over the boss portion and has a sidewall including spaced-apart slots of different slot heights. The spring tab is biasingly engaged with an aligned one of the slots. The spring tab is disengagable from the aligned one of the slots allowing the armrest to be manually moved up or down relative to the bracket to bring another one of the slots into alignment with the spring tab. The slots are positioned in a first column, there is also included a second column of slots, and the spring tab has a first projection biasingly engaged with an aligned one of the slots of the first column and has a second projection biasingly engaged with an aligned one of the slots of the second column. The sidewall also includes an elongated access hole between the first and second columns, and the spring tab also includes a push button disposed in the elongated access hole. The clamp portion of the bracket has first and second arms which surround the side portion of the shell in a snap fit.
Several benefits and advantages are derived from one or more of the expressions of an embodiment of the invention. Having height-adjustable armrests for a child car seat allows the child car seat to better fit children of different sizes and allows the same car seat to better fit a child as the child grows. Having height-adjustable armrests for a child car seat also allows, in one example, the armrests to be positioned closer to the child-car-seat shell for easier child ingress and egress while allowing the armrests to be positioned at a higher more comfortable position for the child when the child is secured in the child car seat.